$46.5 million Mega Millions winner comes forward!

INDIANAPOLIS – Five siblings from Indiana, Illinois and Nevada will go down in the record books as being the first Hoosier Lottery players to win a Mega Millions® jackpot. Five members of the Bolke family, Albert Bolke Jr. of Dyer, Ind., Carl Bolke of Henderson, Nev., Ann McClelland of Orland Park, Ill., Marsha Nowaczyk of CalumetCity, Ill. and Margaret Goll of Reno, Nev. won $46.5 million by matching all six numbers in the February 1 Mega Millions drawing. The family presented their winning ticket to Hoosier Lottery Officials in Indianapolis today.

Ann McClelland’s son, Jimmy McClelland, also of Orland Park, Ill. acted as spokesperson for the family and accepted the winnings on behalf of the family in a press conference at Hoosier Lottery Headquarters this afternoon.

Jimmy McClelland described his family as “hardworking, low-key, down-to-earth.”

“We are truly blessed and thankful,” said McClelland.

The full jackpot was $93 million, however, two winning tickets were sold for the February 1 drawing. A group of postal workers in Romulus, Michigan claimed their half of the jackpot February 4.

The Bolke Family elected to take payment in one lump sum and received a payment of approximately $29 million before taxes. Each of the five siblings received approximately $5.8 million before taxes.

“Besides everything they are going to be able to do for their own families, they (the claimants) were happy for their siblings,” noted McClelland.

The group’s lucky ticket was purchased by the siblings’ mother, the Bolke Family Matriarch, atStrack & Van Til at 12 Ridge Road. She purchases tickets each week with monies chipped in from each of her children. That day, it was the only ticket she purchased, and she purchased it at the clerk’s suggestion. With one dollar to spend on a Lottery ticket, she simply said to the clerk, “Give me anything.” The clerk handed her a Mega Millions ticket and she tucked it in her purse, never expecting “anything” to be $46.5 million dollars.

As for their plans for money, the winners all plan to either retire or start putting solid plans together so they can retire in the near future.

The retailer will receive a $100,000 bonus. (1% of $46.5 million capped at $100,000).

Mega Millions players in Indiana have purchased more than 600,000 winning tickets so far, but this marks the first time a Mega Millions jackpot has been hit in Indiana since the Hoosier Lottery started selling the multi-state game on January 31, 2010.

The winning numbers from Feb. 1 drawing were16-22-23-26-35 MB: 31.

Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $52 million.

As with all Hoosier Lottery games, the net income generated from Indiana sales of Mega Millions is turned over to the state. Last year, the Hoosier Lottery transferred $190 million to the state where it was allocated to teachers, police and firefighters retirement funds as well as the Build Indiana Fund which ultimately reduces Hoosiers’ license plate costs.

The Hoosier Lottery reminds all players to please play responsibly.

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For more information, please contact Hoosier Lottery Public Relations Manager Megan Wright at mwright@hoosierlottery.com or 317-264-4805.

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